Proud Blood
by LeDbrite
Summary: "Do they even know what to do with you?" Ever a citizen of the Capitol, Effie considers it a generous move to agree to relocate to District12 for her new assignment, though Haymitch seems to differ, and she's only too afraid that he might be right. As her Capitol ways threaten to be her undoing, she struggles to fit in. That is until she discovers the beauty of rustic charm…


**"One world of soot, the other of jewels,**

** Clash upon impact,**

** Like soil on the hem of an angel's wing…"**

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><p><em> "Effie, do they even know what to do with you?"<em>

Haymitch's words stung, echoing through her head with each article of clothing she unpacked. It had left her speechless when he'd said that and she forcefully gave a retort to the memory of the words. A retort that she wished she had been able to come up with when he had said them.

Earlier that afternoon, after she'd arrived...

_ …After her knock had received no answer…_

_ Hands on her hips, taking a moment for composure, her hand was ready to twist the doorknob when a racket from the geese drew her attention. Startled by the things, amazed that they could make an even greater noise than they already did, she stepped daintily to the corner of the house. Wobbling treacherously, the grass threatening to unbalance her already precarious equilibrium, her mannerisms changed instantly when she spotted the person she'd been looking for._

_ Bottle in one hand, a bag of bread in the other, Haymitch half leaned on the fence as the geese swarmed towards him. The answer as to why they were suddenly so noisy._

_ Pursing her lips in displeasure at the sight of him throwing his head back and taking a long draw of his drink, she replaced the look with a smile and made her way towards him. "Haymitch," she called out cheerfully. "I was just as my way to see you! I thought you would've been inside, but it's so much nicer to be out here!"_

_ The autumn day had been picturesque, one that belonged in memory, not reality. Scattered gatherings of clouds had trooped across the sky, creamy white against the cornflower blue, with a playful breeze to chase them along. And in the trees, the maples had turned fiery, the forefront of color, with the others giving hint that they too where about to turn._

_ Half raising the bottle again, he muttered, "Oh joy," before finishing it off. Dropping it carelessly, he folded his arms as he turned to face her, giving her an unamused look. "Who invited you back?" he demanded, his tone surly._

_ "Manners, Haymitch," Effie reminded huffily, managing to keep her smile on. "And I was assigned here," she informed him, beaming brightly at her news. _

_ An eyebrow quirked up and a loaf of bread found its way into his hand as he returned to feeding the geese. It was the only response she received, but it didn't perturb her._

_ Continuing without caring about whether or not he was listening, she stopped a yard away from the pen, the animals inside deterring her from approaching any closer. "I just wanted to let you know that I'll be moving into one of the houses here in the Victor's Village. The committee felt that it was only suitable as they aren't being used, and it wouldn't cause extra stress on the population by trying to find a room where I could stay," she chattered. With a slight laugh, she added, "Of course, one wouldn't want to lose the use of a room for five years, but I think-"_

_ "Do you ever stop talking?" Haymitch grumbled, cutting her off. "And what committee was this you were talking about?"_

_ So he was listening. Encouraged, Effie gave out the details. "As you know," she began primly. "Each district has chosen a representative to be a voice for them in the Capitol. But Plutarch had a grand idea of making the gesture go two ways. So not only will the districts have a representative, but they will also have a person from the Capitol who will see that the district's needs are met." _

_ Smile broadening; her attention was momentarily distracted as she added curiously, gesturing to the geese, "I never realized how much they ate."_

_ Eyes narrowing as he gave her a once over, hardly needing the overdone smile to give him the answer as to who would be coming to Twelve from the Capitol… Haymitch instead answered her last comment, stating blandly, "They don't. And they don't need to starve."_

_ "Why would they…" her sentence trailed off as her eyes flashed to the bottle, and then to the bread, lips thinning into a line with realization. "Shouldn't you take better care of your pets?" she demanded, indignant for the birds, although she felt no love for them._

_ Five loaves of bread had already been torn up and tossed in, but it was soon topped by a generous scoop of grain. Job finished, he held up the empty bottle for her examination. "Sweetheart," he started drily. "The train comes once a month. And when my shipment arrives, I don't give a damn about them." _

_ Pushing past her, he headed back to the house, leaving her to scramble after him in her heels. Complaining loudly about the rules of etiquette that he had broken, it was a relief to her ankles to walk across the solid floors of his house, filthy as they were. _

_ Frowning heavily as he grabbed another bottle, fists once more planted on her hips, she demanded out of exasperation, "Would you at least give me the courtesy of listening to me?"_

_ Dropping onto the couch, he smirked and lifted the bottle in a signal of permission. "Haven't I, sweetheart?"_

_ Giving in to frustration, she managed to talk without gritting her teeth. "Honestly! I had hoped that maybe you'd be pleased for me, or least there'd be some sign that all our years of working together meant something to you!"_

_ "They do." Taking another sip, he drew out the pause as long he could, watching with great amusement as strong emotions began to crack her control, clearly enraged by the disrespect. "But you only bring bad memories to mind."_

_ Demeanor crumbling a little, genuinely hurt by the gibe, her words carried less enthusiasm. "That was uncalled for." Straightening up so that she stood stiffly before him, her expression now cold, she commented, "And here I had thought you'd be interested in attending my party to celebrate my promotion, but clearly I was wrong."_

_ Grinning again, though there was nothing nice about it, he said, "Yeah, tell me about the promotion again?" Tapping the side of the bottle thoughtfully, as if having to think deeply about it, he prompted, "Something about staying here for five years."_

_ "Yes, that's right," Effie, replied haughtily, forgiving him a little since he was showing an increased interest. "Plutarch suggested it to me after his idea was approved. While it might have been more exciting to go to one of the other districts, I felt that, as I knew a little about district twelve, that it'd be nice to be the first Advocate for here. Of course, after the five years are up, if I'm tired of this place I can return home."_

_ Eyeing her thoughtfully, gulping down another mouthful of liquor, Haymitch asked softly, "Effie, do they even know what to do with you?" But he made it sound like it was something she should've considered._

_ Too surprised to do anything but bristle, temper flaring at his suggestion, it was the fact that he didn't even sound concerned that bothered her the most. Giving the only defense that she knew, she snapped, "I have always been of use to the Capitol!" Words running momentarily dry, she added the only thing she could think of to improve her argument. "And let me remind you that it was you who painted me as a rebel for your cause!"_

_ "Be grateful you're alive," he tossed back sarcastically. Hearing the intake of breath that signaled the start of another tirade, he jolted up right and stilled her with a swift motion. "Look, I don't care how you came to be here, but none of us chose to come back." Smiling faintly, and relaxing again, he added, "Whether you like it or not, there's no place for us."_

_ Staring at him, astonished by the idea, she grasped onto the assurance that he had been talking about Peeta, Katniss, and himself, and that it had nothing to do with her. She would be free to go home in five years, and she saw no reason for them to complain. They already were home. And while she could see why no one would have any use for a drunk, and two messed up adolescents, those descriptions most certainly did not apply to her._

_ "Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Haymitch asked lazily, stretching out on the couch as he finished his current bottle and reached for another._

_ "Just to tell you not to disturb me with your drinking," Effie immediately answered. "And that the party will be sometime next week."_

_ "Thanks for the heads up," he muttered._

**oOo**

Out of the entire course of their conversation, it had been those words, the ones insinuating her uselessness, which had stood out to her.

"Just so you know, Mr. Abernathy," she whispered under her breath. "I have many qualities that you are not aware of, that the Capitol is extremely grateful for." Falling silent as she tucked the clothes away in a drawer, unwilling to admit to herself that she couldn't name any of her supposed qualities at the moment, she found a weak, but satisfying answer that would suffice for the time being. "For one, my insight to some of the things the districts suffered through is very valuable to them," she finished with a flourish, wishing that Haymitch could've heard it.

No, I take that back, she realized, with a slight scowl. He would've made some snide remark. Something along the lines of, 'Just keep believing that, sweetheart,' as he downed some more whiskey.

Satisfied that her room was as comfortable as she could possibly make it, for the time being, she headed downstairs.

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><p>AN: Technically, this is my second Hayffie fic, but the first one is a w.i.p. right now. And this one is mostly just for fun (along with practicing writing these characters). If either Haymitch or Effie is off, please let me know!

Hope you enjoyed it, and hopefully you'll stay around for the next chapter. Thanks for reading!


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